Today is all about gratitude.
Putting aside all the historical implications of the day - Thanksgiving Is about pausing for a moment and giving thanks for the good things in our lives - however small.
Of course, it’s not about just one moment. It’s a chance to remind ourselves that gratitude is an important ongoing part of a happy life. What a great idea for a holiday!
In fact, it’s perhaps my favorite holiday because it is explicitly about the only thing has ever made me truly happy in any kind of sustainable way. Also, food.
I rarely remember or succeed at it - but having a consistent (ideally every day) practice of gratitude gives me a euphoric feeling that can be more intense than any quick hit from a drug or retail therapy.
The other day I was accused of showing off (Australians love their tall poppy syndrome). After gut checking myself it occurred to me that my actual motivation is gratitude. When I was a kid, I dreamt of doing many of the things I’ve been fortunate enough to do as an adult. In order to have deep gratitude for this (in real-time) I try to both enjoy and share these moments with as much child-like wonder as I can; constantly reminding myself of how absolutely thrilled 5, 10 and 15 year old me would be to have the things and relationships I have.
The most unhappy people I know tend to be unhappy because they focus so much on what they lack or on how others interact with them. They don’t take responsibility for their own behavior and they don’t focus on their skills, opportunities, and possibilities. They don’t have true, deep gratitude for what they have and for the abundance others have around them.
So on this Thanksgiving, I encourage you to be grateful for gratitude - and I encourage you (and me) to make it part of your everyday experience.
For right now, I’m most thankful for the family and friends who have shaped my life and supported my journey. I’m grateful for the overwhelming agency and abundance in my life. And I’m grateful that the latter has allowed me to spend so much quality time with the former.